Sorry for the radio silence - we ARE here at Epcot (meaning the hubs, my 72 YO tour de force Mama, and the other intrepid team mates) but I had forgotten that vacationing at Disney can be work in itself. Id forgotten about how spread out everything is. Yesterday was our very own version of Planes, Trains, and Automobiles as we navigated from one park to the next. In a perfect world, I was going to get up bright and early and head to the ESPN sports complex to check in and get my race bib, pop back over to the hotel (were staying at a hotel on property in Epcot), collect the hubs and Mama, tippy toe over to Animal Kingdom during the am, head into the Magic Kingdom for the pm FastPass reservations and then end the day with dinner Id already arranged for us at Marrakesh back in Epcot. Maybe cap off the eve with the laser light show on the bridge in Epcot. In my brain, this was all worked out and seamless. Er - no. Lessons learned yesterday: 1) All Disney property is spread WAY THE HELL OUT. Even getting to a boat, a train, a shuttle is a little jaunt in itself. Factor in not being sure where you are going, maneuvering around hordes of other people, and there was some doubling back, getting onto a boat, getting off the boat, back into the boat, and feeling more than slightly stupid in the process... This was all accomplished with my hubs and 72 YO Mama in tow, btw. Who never complained - just followed me gamely. (Sure Erica knows where shes going! Oh look - a bridge - shes jumping off it! Guess I better jump too!!!) which brings me to bonehead move of the year: 2) Heading to the ESPN Sports Complex with same hubs and Mama Rena in tow, I felt smug. Race waivers were required for check in and you had to have them filled out or youd be clawing and scrambling to do it while we were there. I knew from the size of the race that mininizing trauma during check in was key, so I was ready - literally had waiver in hand as I marched my wee party off the bus at the ESPN complex, across the length of a football field to the complex itself, high fiving all the Disney ambassadors wearing House of Mouse Mickey gloves, up stairs, down stairs, and into another football sized auditorium for check in. Looking around at the throngs of people, as I positioned us in line, you woulda thought I felt awesome. Here we were. At last! Except. Except. Except I realized that for the past few days I never needed my wallet b/c I had the mother lode of access on: A Disney Magic band. So to get into rides, the hotel, eat, shop, whatever I just waved my wrist (literally) and got what I wanted. Lovely... Lazy... Except. At the race they need your ID. Yeahhhhhhhh... So I had my waiver but not my friggin ID. Not. Even.A. Costco.Card. I looked at the Hubs and my 72 YO Mom patiently waiting for me in yet another line from Hell and almost burst into tears. Hello, cliff... Good jumping off ya... Anyway, I had to regroup. At this point I frantically did the sort of complex math they always require of you on those standardized tests that I never seemed to get right in theory in High School, but in real life can calculate just fine, thank you very much. Lets see... If I took my little crew out of line, back UP the stairs, back across the football field, back onto the bus, back to the hotel, then back onto the bus and repeat the whole process again, how long before I am officially divorced? And disowned? And have to call the paramedics for all of us? Carry the 1, factor in X and yup, we left the Expo to go visit Magic Kingdom. Cause at this point even attempting the 2nd part of my clever little plan- Animal Kingdom-was a stretch. Which brings me to point #3 which has to do with the hubs and Mama Rena: Support has been so critical on this entire journey. I was reminds of this yesterday as they saw me at my worst. I was impatient, snappy, and at times almost weepy in the midst of the aforementioned adventure. But these two know me best - one had the fun (!) < sarcasm there> of raising a headstrong, willful, crazy daughter for forty odd years and the other has had the fun of being in a relationship with the same. Theyve both had to listen as nauseum about this race for the past 9 months and have witnessed every up, every down, every milestone, every injury, every PR. But yesterday they were just - them. Loving, supportive, reassuring, excited. We can come back today they told me over and over. This is about your race. They smiled at me as boarded YET ANOTHER BUS and I wanted to cry. Instead, I quoted Clark Griswold from Vacation. No! I happily yelled. Ill come back tomorrow. Today? This family is gonna go have some G--D--- fun! And off we went to Magic Kingdom... I love them. :-) .... Today we try the whole race checkin thing again... This time we know exactly where to go...And tonight is the race...Wish us luck...
Posted on: Sat, 08 Nov 2014 12:25:59 +0000
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